Videos Blow Up DHS Narrative in Fatal Minneapolis Shooting of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti

Videos Raise Questions in Alex Pretti Minneapolis Shooting

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Videos circulating across social media are already ripping holes through the Department of Homeland Security’s official story surrounding the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA and a lifelong Minneapolis resident whose record shows nothing more than minor traffic infractions.

Despite DHS rushing to paint Pretti as a threat, the footage tells a very different story — one that has the public questioning whether federal agents lied to justify another killing in broad daylight.

Shortly after 9:00 a.m. Saturday, U.S. Border Patrol and other federal immigration officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation along Nicollet Avenue near West 26th Street in south Minneapolis when a confrontation unfolded between Pretti and federal agents.

DHS Claims vs. What the Videos Actually Show

According to DHS, Pretti allegedly approached agents with a handgun and two loaded magazines, resisted efforts to disarm him, and forced officers to open fire in what they described as self-defense.

But local officials — and more importantly, video evidence — contradict that narrative.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Pretti was legally licensed to carry a firearm under Minnesota law. However, video footage reviewed by multiple outlets does not clearly show Pretti holding a gun at the moment he was shot.

Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by multiple gunshots. According to Fox 9 KMSP, dozens of rounds were fired by Border Patrol agents.

What the Videos Show

Multiple bystander videos circulating online capture the moments before and during the shooting — and they are damning.

One widely shared video shows Pretti legally filming ICE agents during the operation. The footage then shows an ICE agent shoving a woman, prompting Pretti to step in and assist her. Seconds later, Pretti is pepper-sprayed, tackled by multiple agents, and then shot.

Moments later, he is dead.

Another image circulating online shows an ICE agent holding Pretti’s firearm before the shooting, raising serious questions about whether he was already unarmed when he was gunned down.

Yet despite the visuals, DHS wasted no time rushing to judgment — issuing statements before a full investigation had even begun.

DHS Doubles Down Anyway

During a brief news conference, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino repeated DHS’s talking points, claiming an agent fired “defensive shots.”

“During this operation, an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun,” Bovino said. “The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots.”

Bovino offered no additional details, no body-camera footage, and no explanation for why the videos appear to contradict DHS’s account.

Instead, he focused on the agent’s résumé.

“The officer was highly trained and had been serving as a Border Patrol agent for eight years,” Bovino said, adding the officer had extensive training as a range safety and less-lethal officer.

None of that explains why Pretti is dead.

Trump Fans the Flames

President Donald Trump quickly jumped into the controversy, posting a photo on Truth Social of a gun that officials claim belonged to Pretti. Trump said it was loaded and accompanied by two full magazines.

He then accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of “inciting insurrection,” labeling them “political fools,” and claiming — without evidence — that billions of dollars had been stolen from the state.

“LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!” Trump wrote.